In the US, about four million babies are born each year. Compared to women of generations past, women today are waiting longer to have babies, receiving more prenatal care, and having more
cesarean deliveries
.

Increased Age

In 1970, women, on average, had their first baby when they were 21.4 years old. This average age has increased to 25.8 years old.

While most births still occur in women in their 20s, women have been waiting longer to start their families. From 1970 to 2006, the number of women having their first baby at age 35 or older has been steadily rising.

Not only are women putting off having their first baby, but births to teenage girls are also at lower levels. There has been a 52% drop in teen birth rates from 1991.

How old you will be when you have your first child may be related to where you live. The age at which women have their firstborn varies by state.

Prenatal Care

Compared with their predecessors, women today are more likely to receive prenatal care, which is associated with healthier babies and fewer pregnancy-related complications. In 2008, about 71% of women received prenatal care in their first trimester.

Total Fertility Rate Down, More Boys Than Girls

In 2011, the number of children a woman will give birth to over her lifetime was 1.9 children. The rate declined for nearly all race and Hispanic origin groups.

In 2010, for every 1,000 girls that are born, 1048 boys were born.

Cesarean Deliveries

The number of women having cesarean sections (C-sections) increased between 1996 and 2009. However, the rate has been declining ever since.
Cesarean sections
now account for about 33% of deliveries.

Preterm Deliveries

Data from 2011 found that the number of babies born preterm (before 37 weeks of gestation) has decreased to 11.6% of all births. There was also a small decrease in the percentage of low birth weight babies (accounting for 8.0%).

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Births: final data for 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NVSR. 2012;61(1).

Births: preliminary data for 2011. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NVSR. 2012;61(5).

Delayed childbearing: more women are having their first child later in life. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db21.htm. Updated August 2009. Accessed November 15, 2012.

Livingston G, D'Vera C. The new demography of American motherhood. Pew Research Center website. Available at:
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1586/changing-demographic-characteristics-american-mothers. Published May 6, 2010. Accessed March 14, 2014.

National and state data. The National Campaign website. Available at: http://thenationalcampaign.org/data/landing. Accessed March 14, 2014.

NCHS data brief: delayed childbearing: more women are having their first child later in life. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db21.htm. Published August 2009. Accessed March 14, 2014.